Method of and device for registering printing plates



May 11' 1926. 1,583,825

' A. B. DAVIS METHOD OF AND DEVICE FOR REGISTERING PRINTING PLATES FildAugust 28, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 auioznws May 11 1926. 1 1,583,825

' A. B. DAVIS METHOD OF AND DEVICE FOR REGISTERING PRINTING PLATES FiledAugust 28, 1 ,24 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 11, 1926.

UNITED TA'T'ES v A g 1,583,52'5 PATENT orn ce.

' ARTHUR B. DAVIS, or SPRINGFIELD, onro.

METHOD-F AND DEVIQE FOR REGISTERING PRINTING IPLATES.

Applicaticn filed August 28, 1924. Serial 1Y0..734,555.

My invention relates to means for andthe method of setting the printingplates on the plate holding bases of printing presses. One of theobjects of the invention is to provide a simple and effective method ofsetting the plates on the various bases of a mnlti-color press such thatthe various manipulated without the necessity of calculationor anyunusual skill upon the part of the pressman. r In the accompanyingdrawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the packing cylinder and the variousplate cylinders of a mult-i-color press.

Fig. 2 is a view of oneof the plate cylin ders showing myimprovedregistering device applied thereto. Fig. 3 is a View of aportion of another one of the plate cylinders illustrating further themanner of use of my method and devices.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the straight edge. Fig. 5 is a longitudinalsection of a portion of one of the plate cylinders, a portion of thestraight edge and one of the position blocks for the same.

Fig. 6 is a plan View of a portion of a bed press showing myimprovements applied thereto. 7

Fig. 7 is a detail of one of the blocks for holding the straight edge.

This invention is applicable to either a cylinder type of press or tothe bed type.

In Fig. 1 there is shown a packing cyl1n der 1 and four plate bases inthe formof cylinders 52, 3, 4; and 5- of a multi-color press. The platecylinders are geared to a'large gear connected with the packing cylinderso as to rotate at the same speed, the gears being shown in dotted linesat 6 and 7. In Fig. 2 there is shown one of the plate cylinders whichwill be considered the one marked 2, which makesthe first impression. 7

Each of these plate cylinders is 01" a conventlonal'type, 8 representingthe bearer rings, 9 spiral grooves in the periphery of t'hecylinder, and10 annular grooves between the cylinder properand the bearer r ngs a I.

In carrying out my invention, I place in 131 annular groove 10 a seriesof blocks 11, a block in one groove. 10 being. exactly in line with ablock in theother grcove and const tuting with it a. coasting pair ofblocks. Each pair of blocks is so positioned with respect to the timingof the folder or cuttingvknife of the press that the spaceon thecylinder hetween the blocks represents the space which exists on thecylinder between the horizontal edges of the folio lines of the adjacentplates, such space being generally called the margin ';-a pair of blocksbeing located at. each of said spaces. Each of the biocks is secured inposition by. screws 12 which I pass through openings 13 in the blocksand are threaded in the bottom of the grooves- 10; the openings 13 beingpreferably elongated to permit proper positioning of the blocks. p e pCooperating with the blocks is a straight edge 14 formed of a strip ofmetal, each end of which has a'pin 15, which pins register with openings16 in the blocks. The blocks are so positioned that the openings 16 inthe blocks ofone cylinder are exactly timed with the openings of theblocks of the other cylinders. By this is meant that the space on acylinder between any two opposite openings 16will pass overthe paperbeing printed at exactly the same point as the space between theopenings of a certain pair of blocks on the next succeeding cyl-' inder.The straight edge also has indicat ing lines 17 and a plurality ofseries of sharp pins 18 for a purpose to be explained,

and the width of this straight edge represents the exact distancebetween the folio lines at the tops of adjacent pages with the tween themargins.

To assemble the plates onthe key c vlin-" der, which will be consideredthe one marked 2 in the present case, the straight edge is placed inposition as shown in Fig.

2 with its pins 15 in the-holes 16 of a pair of blocks, and using theedges thereof and the indications 1 7 asv guides, the plates,

pins 15 and holes 16 on the center line be three of which are shown at19,19 and 19 may be readily positioned and locked in place by the usuallugs 20 in the spiral grooves. In positioning the plates the same aremoved until the folio lines (date and page number) at the top of theplate, when the plates hear such folio lines, register with the edges ofthe straight edge and one side of the printed matter or other characterson the plate are in registry with the indication 17. It should beexplained that the margins of printing plates are beveled from the outeredge to the type high part which enables the plates to be slid under thestraight edge until the folio lines of the plates come in line with thestraight edge. The straight edge is then removed to another pair ofblocks and the same procedure followed until all of the plates on thekey cylinder have been positioned. Thus, it will be seen that a simplemethod, ie quiring only simple and inexpensive apparatus, is providedfor positioning the plates on the key color cylinder in a manner whichwill cause the printed pages on both sides .of the sheet to exactlyregister, and this method applies not only to multi-color presses butalso to presses in which but a single color and plate base are employed.i The plates on the key cylinder having been properly positioned, themethod of positioning the plates on the next succeeding plate cylinderwill now be explained. Before the plates have been placed on the firstor key cylinder an offset proof is taken of each plate made on paper ina well known way; that is, a proof sheet having an impression of theplate on the back side. One of these proof sheets is indicated at 21 inFig. 3, having been taken from the plate 19 at the right in Fig. 2. Theproof is cut away at least two points, shown by the triangular-. shapedslits 22, so as to expose portions of a plate placed beneath it, and theproof is then placed upon and brought in registry with the plate 19 onthe cylinder 2 and impaled in this position on the pins 17 of thestraight edge. The straight edge and proof are then removed fromcylinder 2' and placed on cylinder 3 (Fig. and the plate 23corresponding in matter to the plate 19 is then positioned beneath theproof sheet until corresponding parts thereof come in registry with theproof which can easily be determined by observing parts of the plateexposed by the cut-away portions of the proof. It will be noticed thatthe inner side of one slit has been cut so as to register with thecorner of one of the squares of the figure which appears on the plateand the inner side of the other slit registers with one side of one ofthe other squares, and in positioning the plate 23, the plate will bemoved until the same points register with the proof. The selection ofthe points to be brought in registry is purely arbitrary, at least twoprominent points on the plate 19 which appear on the plate 23 beingchosen.

When positioning the plates upon the initial or key cylinder, in theevent that a printing plate does not bear a folio line, as is the casewith some plates, a somewhat different plan is pursued to position sucha plate. A sheet of paper out to the size of the matter of a fullyoccupied plate is in this case provided, such sheet of paper having anadditional flap at the top for the pur-; pose of enabling the sheet tobe impaled upon the sharp pins ofthe straight edge, a crease separatingthe flap from the main body of the sheet at the folio line. This sheetof paper bears a properly positioned reproduction of the printing platepreferably by plaeing thereon an offset proof of the printed matter ordesign which appears on the plate. This sheet of paper at the placewhere the reproduction appears is cut away in the same manner previouslydescribed inconnection with the proof 21 and the sheet of paper is thenimpaled upon the sharp pins of the straight edge with the crease orfolio line in line with the side ofthe straight edge. The cut is thenbrought in registry with the reproduction thereof which appears on thesheet of paper and locked in position on the base. l/Vhen such a methodis employed of securing the key plate in position the same proof can beemployed for positioning corresponding plates on the other bases.

While I have shown and described my method and apparatus as used withgrooved bases, it is to be understood that the invention is equallyapplicable to bases of other types such as a base provided with fixedstops. In this connection it should be explained that with the lattertype of base, the stops coact with the edges of the plates, requiringthe edges of the plates to be either planed off or extended by solderingadditional metal thereon and with this method it requires the taking ofnumerous press proofs until the required registration is secured. Withmy method, plates on any kind of a base may be accurately registeredwithout the necessity of making test runs of the press during theinstallation of the plates.

In Fig. 6 my improved devices are shown 2 upon a base consisting inproviding a .130'

straight edge of a width-equal to thewidth of the margin betweenportions of adjacent plates correspondingto the folio lines, po-

sitioning said straight edge across the base the portions thereofcorresponding to the folio lines in line with the edge or edges of saidstraight edge.

2. The method of registering printing plates consisting in properlypositioning a plate upon a base, placing a reproduction,

such as a proof sheet, of said plate upon a second base in position toregister with the impression made by the plate on said first base, andpositioning another plate on said second base in registry with saidreproduction.

3. The method of registering printing plates consisting in properlypositioning a plate upon a base, cutting away portions of areproduction, such as a proof sheet, of said plate, placing suchreproduction upon a second base in position to register with theimpression made by the plate on said first base, and positioning asecond plate on said second base in registry with said reproduction byexposing a part of said second plate by reason of the cut-away parts ofsuch reproduction.

The method of registering printing plates consisting in temporarilysecuring a guide to a printing base, positioning a plate on said base asdetermined by said. guide, securing a proof sheet of said plate to saidguide in registry with said plate, transferring said guide and sheet topredetermined fixed points on a second printing base to po sition thesheet at a point to register with the impression made by said plate, andsecuring a second plate to said second base in registry with said proofsheet.

The method of registering printing plates consisting in cutting awayparts of a reproduction, such as a proof sheet, of said plate. placingthe reproduction on said plate and bringing it in registry therewith bythe aid of the portions of said plate exposed by the cutaway portions ofsaid reproductions, attaching the reproduction while still in reg istrywith said plate to a removable member on the plate base which occupies apredetermined relation to said base, removing the said member and theattached proof to another base and applying the member thereto at apredetermined point to position the reproduction at a point to registerwith the impression made by the plate on the first base, and thenadjusting another plate corresponding in matter to said first plate bycausing said second plate to register with said reproduction by the aidof the portions of said second plate exposed by said cutaway portions ofsaid reproduction.

I 6. Ina matching device :of the character described, a pluralityofprinting plate bases, a straight edge, a plurality of sets of holdingdevices on each base for positioning and holding the straight edgethereon, each set of holding devices being located at a known place oneach of said bases to position the straight edge in predeterminedrelation thereto, and means associated with said straight edge arrangedto be brought in registry with a printing plate on one base and carriedwith said-straight edge to a second base for the purpose of positioninga printing plate on said second base by bringing said plate in registrytherewith.

7. In a matching device of the character described, a plurality ofprinting plate bases, a straight edge, means on each base forpositioning and holding the straight edge in predetermined relation withsaid base, said means being so located as to position the straight edgeat a space on said base representing the cross margins of the pages, andmeans associated with said straight. edge for enabling a plate on onebase to be brought in registry with a properly adjusted plate on anotherbase by matching said meanswith said adjusted plate and moving the otherplate into registry therewith.

8. In a registering device of the character described, a plurality ofprinting plate bases, a plurality ofblocks carried by said base inpredetermined position thereon, said blocks being arranged in pairs withthe blocks of each pair located on opposite sides of the base, astraight edge, and means for holding said straight edge associated withany pair of blocks, each pair of blocks being so located with respect tothe base as to position said straight edge along the line of the crossmargins of the pages.

9. In a device of the character described,

. the combination .With a base provided with a plate bearing surface andgrooves on each. side thereof, of a plurality of blocks secured in saidgrooves, said blocks being arranged opposite each other so as to be inpairs, a straight edge, and interengaging means be tween the ends ofsaid straight edge and said blocks whereby said straight edge may bepositioned across the plate bearing surface of said base, said blocksbeing so located as to position the straight edge at the page margins. V

10. In a matching device of the character described, the combination,with a plurality of printing plate bases, a straight edge, means forremovably attaching said straight edge in predetermined positions onsaid bases, said straight edge being provided with a 'seriesof sharppins, in connection with a proof sheet adapted to be impaled on saidpins after being brought in registry with a printing plate which hasbeen positioned on a base by the aid of said straight edge so that theproof sheet and straight edge may be transferred to a second base andplaced in position thereon in registry With the plate on said first basefor the purpose of matching therewith another plate on said second base.

11. In a matching device of the character described, the combinationWith a plurality of printing plate bases, of a straight edge, means oneach cylinder for positioning the straight edge in predeterminedposition thereon, in connection with a reproduction such as a proofsheet, of a plate positioned on the initial cylinder means for attachingthe reproduction to the straight edge after it has been brought inregistry With said plate, whereby the straightedge and reproduction maybe transferred to another base and a second cut matched-With thereproduction to p second base.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day ofAugust, 1924,

ARTHUR B. DAVIS.

roperly position the same on said.

